Device at garment hangers



Aug. 26, 1969 s. E. SAMUELSSON DEVICE AT GARMENT HANGERS Filed Feb. 23, 1967 J12? INVENTORI BK MW M United States Patent U.S. Cl. 223-95 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A garment hanger manufactured entirely of plastic has means provided on the end portions for the purpose of relieving, at the adjustment operation, the stresses on the end parts gradually so that the movement of the end parts in the outward direction is safely and softly braked.

The present invention is an improvement of the garment hanger shown in Patent 3,314,579 granted Apr. 18, 1967 to the present inventor.

This invention refers to an improved plastic garmenthanger, in particular a skirt-hanger, of plastic of the kind comprising a center portion with a tube shaped channel for housing two end portions which are movable in the longitudinal direction of the hanger by spring action, said end portions being provided at the outer free ends thereof with means for engagement with the garment to be carried by the hanger. The end portions are provided on those ends thereof which are intended to be inserted into the centre portion with a resilient tongue presenting an abutment with which engages a longitudinal slot in the centre portion, said slot terminating at some distance from the outer end of the centre portion. In order that the end portions on which engagement means are arranged be able to keep the garment sufficiently stretched, the spring must be of considerable dimensions. Pushing the end portions into the centre portion compresses the spring, and if the end portions are then released manually without being arrested by the garment they will be moved by the spring at a high 'velocity towards the centre por tion end in question where the abutment of the end portion strikes against the outer end of the slot. It has been found that the abutment is hereby exposed to such heavy stresses that the tongue carrying the abutment simply breaks and the end portion shoots out of the centre portion like a projectile. Attempts have been made to provide the end portion in question with a steel rail on which the abutment is arranged and this steel rail is either moulded into the end portion at the manufacture thereof or secured in one way or the other to the end portion after the manufacture thereof. The provision of such a steel rail makes, however, the manufacture of the garment-hanger more expensive.

The object of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned disadvantages and make it possible to manufacture the end portions exclusively of plastic material. The invention is characterised in that the abutment is formed with a surface inclining obliquely outwards towards the outer end of the end portion which outer end carries the means for engaging the garment, that the insertion end of the end portions is provided with indentures at two diametrically opposite positions whereby are formed both the tongue carrying the abutment and a guiding or stiffening tongue opposite thereto, and that the spring ends acting on the end portions engage with some clearance between said two tongues. Owing to this arrangement the end portion, on being displaced outwards by means of the spring through the abut- 3,463,370 Patented Aug. 26, 1969 ting of the inclined abutment surface against the outer end of the slot, will be urged against the action of the resiliency of the plastic material of the tongue, to resiliently bend somewhat inwards towards the end of the spring which is located radially inside and forms an abutment for the tongue. The end portion movement will thus be softly arrested and there will be no risks of the tongue breaking because it is exposed to too heavy stresses.

In the following, the invention will be elucidated with reference to the accompanying drawing. In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a partly cut longitudinal front view of one half of a garment-hanger incorporating the device in accordance with the invention,

FIG. 2 is a view from below of this hanger half, and

FIG. 3 shows on an enlarged scale a part of the left end portion before the insertion thereof into the centre portion.

The garment-hanger according to the invention comprises a centre portion 1 with a suspension hook 2. The centre portion has a tube channel 3 housing a helical spring 4 with a closely wound end portion 5 having a somewhat smaller diameter than the rest of the helical spring. On the underside of the centre portion there is arranged a slot 6 ending at 6' some distance inside of the end 7 of the centre portion.

The garment-hanger further comprises two end portions 8 (only one of which is shown. on the drawings) having at their outer free ends means 9 for engagement with the garment (not shown) to be carried by the hanger. This means has in the usual manner its outer side arranged so as to provide large friction with the garment, e.g. by means of a chamfered surface. The end 10 of the end portion to be inserted into the centre portion 1 is provided with a resilient tongue 11 carrying an abutment 12 with a surface 13 inclining in such a Way that the abutment 12 tapers towards the insertion end 10. The tongue is formed at a V-shaped cut 14 cut in the insertion end 10 which is shaped as a hollow cylinder. The indentations 14 are arranged at diametrically opposite positions so that an upper reinforcement tongue 15 is also formed.

The spring end 5 is shaped in such a way that it can engage with some clearance in the space 16' between the tongues 11 and 15. The abutment 12 has one surface 13' inclining obliquely outwards towards that outer end of the end portion 8 which carries the engagement means 9.

The mounting is carried out in the following manner. First, the helical spring 4 is inserted into the channel 3 of the centre portion 1. The length of the spring 4 should be such that when the inner spring end rests against the suspension hook 2, the outer spring end 5 should extend, in the released position of the spring, somewhat closer to the end 7 of the centre portion 1 than the slot 6. The tongue 11 of the end portion 8 is then pressed upwards with the aid of the thumb in such a way that the insertion end 10 of the end portion can be inserted into the channel 3 and when this is accomplished the end portion is pushed into the centre portion 1 against the action of the spring 4 until the abutment 12 snaps down into the slot 6. The end portion 8 is thereby locked in the centre portion 1 and can be displaced forwards and backwards against the action of the spring 4 a distance which is limited by the length of the slot 6. Not only is the end portion 8 thereby retained in the centre portion 1 but it is likewise so guided that its engagement means 9 is always kept in the desired position, i.e. facing downwards. The engagement of the closely wound end 5 between the tongues 11 and 15 ensures the proper cooperation of the spring 4 and the end portion 8, i.e. the spring 4 can never be too deeply inserted into the channel of the end portion 8. The spring end 5 also ensures that the abutment 12 engages in the slot 6 but permits the tongue 11 to bend resiliently radially inwards a small distance towards the spring end 5 forming the limit of this inwardly directed bending.

The cheapest and most convenient way of manufacturing the centre portion 1 as well as the end portions 8 which are shaped identically on the two sides of the garment-hanger, is by means of extrusion of plastics or the like.

It appears from the above description and with reference to the drawing that it is possible to push the end portions 8 into the centre portion 1 while compressing the helical springs 4. If the end portions 8 are thereafter released, they are rapidly displaced outwards and the abutment 12 strikes with its oblique surface 13' against the outer end 6' of the slot 6. Already through this striking a certain retardation of the movement of the end portion 8 occurs. Through the striking the tongue 11 is bent radially inwards against the action of the elasticity of the plastic material until the tongue abuts against the spring end 5. This elastic bending inwards of the tongue 11 also requires some force having a braking effect on the end portion 8. The braking of the end portion 8 thus is very soft, and there is no risk of the tongue 11 of the abutment 12 breaking.

Because the insertion end of the end portion 8 is in the shape of a hollow cylinder the tongue 11 which forms a part of a cylinder, becomes fairly rigid and also durable.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments as shown and described in the aforegoing but many modifications thereof are possible within the scope of the appended claims. The abutment 12 can take many different shapes as long as it is designed in such a way that its engagement with the slot 6 provides the retainment of the end portion 8 while guiding the same. Instead of arranging two springs 4, the inner ends of which abut against the hook 2, it is possible to use one spring only passing through the centre portion channel, provided the book is disposed in such a way that the lower end thereof does not pass through the channel 3.

What I claim is:

1. A plastic garment-hanger comprising a center portion (1) having a tube-shaped channel (3), longitudinal slots (6) in said center portion terminating adjacent the outer ends (7) of said center portion, two end portions (8) movable longitudinally in said outer ends of said channel, spring means (4) cooperating with said end portions, means (9) at the outer free ends of said end portions for engaging the garment to be carried, each of said end portions (8) having inner ends (10) and including means (14) forming a resilient tongue (11) and a guiding reinforcement tongue located diametrically opposite each other, an abutment (12) on said resilient tongue (11) engaging said slot, said abutment (12) having a surface (13) inclined obliquely downwardly and inwardly to the longitudinal axis of said end portion (8), and said spring means each having an end (5) acting on said inner end portion (8) engaging said two tongues (11) and (15) whereby said tongue (11) is pressed against said end (5) by said abutment (12) and a soft braking of the movement of said end portion (8) in said center portion (1) is obtained.

2. A garment-hanger as claimed in claim 1 wherein said end (10) is a hollow cylinder.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,419,638 4/1947 Graeber 223 2,814,426 11/1957 Miller 22394 2,998,904 9/1961 Bellg 223-95 3,314,579 4/ 1967 Samuelsson 223-95 FOREIGN PATENTS 265,160 2/ 1950 Switzerland. 287,823 4/ 1953 Switzerland.

MERV'IN STEIN, Primary Examiner GEORGE H. KRIZMANICH, Assistant Examiner 

